That close to the game, it's probably not going to dramatically impact ticket sales, people traveling to the game, etc, but it does make the match-up a lot less attractive, which impacts tv ratings, which drive future contracts, etc. I mean, it's not like TV revenue is the #1 driving force behind everything in major college athletics...

And ultimately, my answer to your question is that the people who are paid to know/figure these things out thought it would impact the bottom line enough to not suspend the players for the game.

I know this was back in 2004, but I think the NCAA ****** USC WR Mike Williams pretty good...if you remember he declared for the NFL draft in that brief few month window that it was legal to do so when Maurice Clarrett started that lawsuit v. the NFL?...so it was overturned, the 3 years out of HS school was reinstated, Mike Williams re-enrolled at USC was taking classes, doing all the right things, and then a couple days before their season opener v. Virginia Tech, they announced that he was ineligible for the 2004 season...pretty ****** if you ask me. On NCAA Football 2005, he's on the USC roster but not a starter because of all the ongoings at the time.

I love to pile on the NCAA, but Mike Williams screwed himself over on that one. He left USC and hired an agent knowing full well that the ruling was under appeal and could be overturned. He was ineligible from that moment and had to apply for reinstatement - the fact that they waited until a few days before the season to deny him really is inconsequential, it's not like he could have done something else in the meantime.

Posted by AlCheez on 8/29/2013 2:23:00 PM (view original):That close to the game, it's probably not going to dramatically impact ticket sales, people traveling to the game, etc, but it does make the match-up a lot less attractive, which impacts tv ratings, which drive future contracts, etc. I mean, it's not like TV revenue is the #1 driving force behind everything in major college athletics...

And ultimately, my answer to your question is that the people who are paid to know/figure these things out thought it would impact the bottom line enough to not suspend the players for the game.

Come on. There may have been more interest in that game if they would have suspended the players just to see what happened in the game. And the reality is even if the game drew a million less, it wouldn't have affected the next television contract at all. One bad drawing game (not that this game would have been a bad draw) here or there doesn't do anything to the television negotiations. Given the date they were suspended there would have been virtually no impact on the bottom line.

Obviously that is not the case with Manziel. If he missed the Alabama game, that would have cost some money to at least TA&M, but not the NCAA as a whole. That is what is silly about this nonsensical dollars argument. Suspending Manziel will have no effect on the NCAA's bottom line (the school could potentially lose some money on merchandising and local ad dollars). The SEC television contract negotiations will not be affected at all by Manziel not playing. Sure a few less people might not tune in if he wasn't playing in the Alabama game, but that's about it. No financial impact to the NCAA.

Just so we're clear here, there's no direct financial impact to the NCAA for anything that happens with FBS football since they are only a regulating body and don't run a championship - all the money goes through the conferences. I wasn't referring to the NCAA's bottom line.

But the NCAA has a vested interest in looking out for the bottom line of the members since it's not an independent organization. It only exists to the extent that it's members wish it to. There's been rumblings for years about the major conferences breaking away and regulating themselves - and if they do that, they take the NCAA's cash cow, the men's basketball tournament (or at least the draw of it) with them. The only possible chance the NCAA has to avoid that fate (and it may be inevitable anyhow) is to toe the line.

I think you're kidding yourself if you don't think suspending those players for the game puts a dent in the pocketbooks of at least a few key players. I go back to what I said - the people who paid to know about this stuff thought it was enough of a concern to not suspend them for the game.

I've said it many times before - if an NCAA decision regarding football/basketball doesn't make sense on the surface, follow the money. This is one of those times.

Fox Sports 1 analyst and ex-Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher cut right to the point earlier this week, when he was asked about Johnny Manziel’s actions during Texas A&M’s season opener against Rice.

“I’m not saying he’s a punk, but he acted like a punk in that game,” Urlacher said. “[He's] such a good football player. You saw in the second half, what he did — three touchdown passes and ran it pretty well. It’s just too bad he had to act like that. I’m pulling for the guy. I want him to do well.”

The folks at CNBC’s Squawk Box tried to draw a similar reaction out of Patriots QB Tom Brady on Thursday. Brady joined the show via video, as part of a segment that also included an in-studio interview with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

The show’s host, Joe Kernan, turned his discussion with Brady toward Manziel by saying, “You’re probably going to play against Johnny Football one day,” and then asking Brady, “What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever done in terms of flaunting? I think I’ve maybe seen a fist pump. That’s about it, isn’t it?”

Brady responded with a rather indirect comment about Manziel’s behavior.

“I get pretty emotional,” Brady said. ” I have a lot of respect for … my teammates, for my organization and certainly for other guys in the NFL. There’s not a guy playing in the NFL who hasn’t earned the right to be here, and who isn’t supremely talented.

“He’s [Manziel] probably been the best athlete in his high school class, in his elementary school class. So when you look across the ball, you have respect for those guys and treat them with respect. Football’s a physical game … and as [Kraft] would say, ‘If you’re a turd, it’s going to come back to you.’”

It’s hardly an out-of-bounds dig at Manziel’s character, but it does add yet another log to the Johnny Football fire.

Defending Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco took the Manziel controversy in the other direction over the weekend, commenting: “I don’t know if I’ll be too popular for this … But I don’t know how I really felt about Johnny Manziel, but I feel like now everyone hates him. He’s quickly becoming my favorite player in college football.”

Oh, just a reminder: Even if Manziel turns pro following this college season, there still are eight months until next May’s draft. So this likely is just the beginning of all the Manziel frenzy.

What has he really done that's so bad?
He talked trash during the football game. Well so did 100% of all the other players. That's what you do on a football field. When he was flagged for his unsportsmanlike penalty, he was walking (backwards) to his sideline while being pursued by 2 opposing players. All 3 were all trash-talking. Two refs came over to stop them so Manziel stopped talking trash, turned around, and started walking over to his sideline. The other 2 guys continued to pursue him and talk more trash. Manziel then pointed to the scoreboard. Pointing to the scoreboard was likely the most tame thing said or done on that field that day by any player, yet he was flagged solely because he was Johnny Manziel.

He did not ignore Sumlin as he walked back to the sideline. Sumlin basically told him to shut up and sit down (in a more aggressive manner I'm sure). As Sumlin said, stopping to reply to those comments was the worst thing Manziel could've done at that moment. Putting his head down and walking over to the sidelines was the proper response.

In a world where PC bullshit has taken over every aspect of our lives, it's a breath of fresh air to have someone be himself. He may not do everything right, but it's not like he spent the off-season selling drugs, shooting people, getting in gang fights, or raping women. He went to a few basketball games and concerts. The worst thing he did was oversleep one day. While that is irresponsible and doesn't deserve to be defended, it's not like he killed a hooker or something.

As far as the signing of stuff goes, I really don't care. What I would care about, however, is punishing someone for something when the only evidence you have that it ever even happened is the word of a drug addicted felon. And if you think Manziel is the only person signing hundreds of items for memorabilia dealers, feel free to do a quick search for Clowney, Braxton, Boyd, and McCarron memorabilia. They each have about as much signed stuff out there as Manziel does.

And if you think the NCAA has any desire to sit high profile players like Manziel, you are a moron. He's everybody's cash cow along with all those guys I listed in the previous paragraph. Half the reason they only benched him for a half is that they know it's very possible that those other guys could be found guilty of the same stuff if the NCAA gets pressed, so the set the precedent as low as possible.

That said, Manziel has behaved like an arrogant ***** since winning the Heisman. He started it with his tweet of "Can't wait to get out of College Station" after getting a parking ticket. That does turn people off.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/13/2013 7:16:00 PM (view original):Athletes are built up so we can tear them down.

That said, Manziel has behaved like an arrogant ***** since winning the Heisman. He started it with his tweet of "Can't wait to get out of College Station" after getting a parking ticket. That does turn people off.

No, no, no, Mike; you only think that because ESPN told you to think that.

Every time I see Manziel featured in a SportsCenter "Top Play" on Saturday night/Sunday morning, it's usually an amazing scramble followed by an ill-advised throw into coverage that is somehow caught by one of his receivers.

He's not going to get away with that kind of poor judgement / throwing into coverage in the NFL.